Apparatus for burning liquid fuel.



R. E. GRIFFITH, APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL. APPLICATION FILED MAR. r. 1915.

1 ,284,657. Patented Nov. 12, 1918.

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APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID. FUEL. APPLICATION FILED MAR. I.-l9I5.

1,284,657. I Patented Nov. 12, 1918 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- e OO'OO RAYMOND E. GRIFFITH, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

APPARATUS FOR BURNING LIQUID FUEL.

Specification of'Letters Patent.

Patented- Nov. 12, 1918.

Application filed March 1, 1915. Serial No. 11,211.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RAYMOND E. GRIF- FITI-I, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Apparatus for Burning Liquid Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to apparatus for burning liquid fuel, and is concerned particularly ,although not exclusively, with apparatus used for burning fuel in connection with boiler furnaces.

It is the object of my invention to effect improved results and a higher temperature of combustion with economy of fuel by forming a mixture of the fuel and air for supporting combustion, and heating this mixture. in a retort before combustion takes place. In a. preferred embodiment-of my invention, I first preheat the oil by bringing it into contact with a steam pipe, then mix this oil with air, then bring this first formed mixture into the steam pipe so that it becomes intimately associated with the steam; and finally superheating this final mixture of fuel,.air and steam by the action of the heated gases of combustion coming from the furnace. In this way a high temperature of combustion results, with consequent economy in the use 'of fuel to attain a predetermined heating effect in the furnace.

These and other advantages of my invention will be more readily understood by reference to the accompanying drawings, which show preferred means for carrying out my invention, and in which.

Figure 1 is a vertical. longitudinal section through a locomotive boiler to which the apparatus for carrying out my method has been applied;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, with the exception that in Fig. 2 the outer shell of the boiler, omitted in Fig. 1, is shown;

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a vertical. longitudinal section through the mixer which I employ;

Fig. 5 is a plan of the mixer shown in Fig. 4; and I Fig, 6 is an enlarged longitudinal section through the inducing tube used in my mixer.

In the accompanying drawings, I have shown my invention as used in connection with a locomotive boiler, although it is to be locomotive boiler has a fire-box 10, in which;

the combustion is designed to take place. The fiues 11 extend between the front fluesheet 12 and the rear flue-sheet 13. These flues 11, as is well known, are surrounded by water, which is contained within the inner boiler-sheet 14 of circular form.

The boiler is preferably provided with the water space, 15 between the crown-sheet 16 and the boiler-sheet 14, and also with the water legs 17 and :18 of the usual type. At the front end of the boiler, between the fluesheet 12 and the end sheet 19, is the smokehox 20, through which the products of combustion pass on their way to the stack after leaving the lines 11. v r

The bottom of the fire-box 10 is provided with a lining 21, preferably of fire-brick, near the forward end of which is constructed the bridge wall 22, which extends transversely, of the fire-box.

I will next pass t0 a description of my improved apparatus which is applied to the burning of liquid fuel in a boiler furnace" of the type above mentioned.

The mixer is provided with a. mixing chamber 23 having a'rear wall 24 provided with a number of relatively small apertures 25. An airv pipe 26 is connected with an annular chamber 27 located just to the rear of the wall 24, this chamber communicating.

with the mixing chamber 23 through the apertures 25. The air pipe 26 is provided with a regulating valve 28 v,of the butterfly or other well known type, the'air being introduced under pressure.

' The oil pipe 29 extends from the rear of the mixing chamber 23 and ispreferably given a right-angle turn at a short distance to the rear of the (mixer. although it will be understood that this is by no means a necessary part of the invention. A steampipe 30 enters the oil pipe 29. preferably. at the bend just mentioned which occurs in the latter, and this steam pipe extends forwardly through th mixing chamber 23. an annular space 31 thus being provided between the outer surface of the steam pipe 30 and the inner surface of the oil pipe 29.

. The oil pipe 29 is provided with a regulating valve 32 to govern the flow'of oil which is introduced under pressure, and the steam pipe 30 with a similar valve 33.

The front end of the mixing chamber 23 is preferably of a conical shape, and in this portion of the mixing chamber is inserted the apertured tube 3%, which is directly connected with the steam pipe 30. As clearly shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the tube 3 1 is provided with a plurality of obliquely disposed and backwardly extending apertures 35, these apertures preferably being so formed that a slight lip 36 is formed on the forward edge of the external portion of each of these apertures.

The retort pipe 37 is connected with the forward end of the apertured tube 3% and extends forwardly between the inner boilershell 14 and the outer boiler-shell 38. At a position just in front of the front flue-sheet 12, the retort pipe 37 is bent inwardly toward the central axis of the boiler, and then is again bent so that it extends toward the rear. At this point the retort pipe 37 enters the retort flue 39, which extends between the flue-sheets 12 and 13, and is similar to the fi es 11 except that it is preferably somewhat larger in diameter. After leaving the rear end of the retort fine 39, the retort pipe 37 extends through the protecting fire-brick sleeve 40., and terminates at the flaring combustion aperture 41 in the fire-brick 42. preferably directly below the bridge wall 22.

Having thus described the various parts which are used in connection with my invention. the method of operation may now be readily understood. The steam valve 33 is first opened, thereby causing steam to pass through the pipe 30, and then through the apertured tube 34 into the retort pipe 37. In its passage through the apertured tube 3st the steam will entrain the air or othcnfluid which is within the mixing chamber 23 and. cause it to pass through the apertures and be mixed with the steam as it pursues its onward course, the lips 36 on the tube 34 acting to assist the air or other fluid to flow into the tube 34. 'While it is true that the air or other fluid within the chamber 23 is under pressure, yet, the flow of the steam with its aspiration action will hasten the flow through the apertures 35.

The oil valve 32 is now opened, thereby permitting oil to flow through the annular space 31 surrounding the steam pipe 30. This oil will thus become pre-heated in the pipe 29, and on reaching the wall 24 it will come in contact with the air passing from the pipe 26 through the apertures 25 into the mixing chamber 23. The heated oil will thereby become atomized and thoroughly mixed with the air in the mixing chamber 23. This mixture of oil and air will then pass into the tube 34 by the action of the steam passing through the latter and because of the fact that the oil and air are under pressure and the complete mixture of air, oil and steam will then pass into the retort pipe 37. As this mixture passes through the portion of the retort pipe 37 contained within the retort flue 39, it will be evident that the mixture will be superheated by the action of the gases of combustion which pass from the fire-box 10 forwardly through the retort flue 39. When the oil, air and steam mixture reaches the combustion aperture 4-1, the mixture will be superheated to a relatively high tempera ture, so that as this mixture issues from the combustion aperture 4E1, combustion rapidly takes place at a high temperature within the fire-box 10. The products of combustion are directed upwardly by the bridge wall 22, and then, according to the usual method pass forwardly through the fines 11 and the retort flue 39 into the smoke chamber 20, and, finally, to the stack of the locomotive.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in the drawings, the mixer, comprising the mixing chamber 23 and its associated parts, is preferably located in the locomotive cab, so that the valves 28, 32 and 33 are readily accessible to the engineer, and the flow of oil, air and steam may thus be readily regulated to give the desired heating conditions within the fire-box 10.

It will be apparent that man changes could be made in the detail construction of the various parts which I have described for carrying out my invention without departing from the spirit or scope thereof, as defined in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Apparatus for burning liquid fuel, comprising a mixing chamber having a perforated rear wall, an air chamber adjacent said perforated wall, means for introducing said fuel into said mixing chamber through said perforated wall, and a tube leading from said mixing chamber.

2. Apparatus for burning liquid fuel, comprising a mixing chamber having a perforated rear wall, a fuel pipe leading to said perforated wall, an air chamber adjacent said perforated wall, and an apertured tube in said mixing chamber, whereby when steam is caused to flow through said tube air and fuel may pass through said perforated wall and be mixed and whereby said mixture is drawn through said apertured tube for mixing with the steam passing through said tube and the resultant mixture be withdrawn from said mixing chamber through said apertured tube.

3. Apparatus for burning liquid fuel, comprising a mixing chamber having a perforated rear wall, a fuel pipe for introducing liquid fuel into said chamber at the inner surface of said perforated wall, a steam pipe passing through said fuel pipe and through said mixing chamber, and an comprising a mixing chamber. means for introducing liquid fuel into said mixing chamber, means for introducing air into said mixing chamber, a pipe leading from said mixing chamber, and a flue inclosing said pipe whereby the passage of hot gases through said flue will cause the heating of gases within said pipe.

5. In a furnace, the combination with a fire box, of a flue leading from said fire box and through which the products of combustion are adapted to pass, a pipe extending through said flue and leading to said fire box, an apertured tube connected with said pipe, a mixing chamber inclosing said apertured tube, means for introducing liquid fuel into said mixing chamber,-means for introducing air into said mixing chamber, and a steam pipe passing through said mixing chamber and continuous with said apertured tube.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 25th day of February, A. D.,

RAYMOND E. GRIFFITH.

Witnesses:

JOHN L. Nrononson, EVAN H. WADE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patentl, Washington, D. c." 

